Chasing

Chasing is the art of hammering linear designs and textures on sheet metal. The effect looks similar to engraving, but no metal is cut away. Rather, the metal is displaced instead. It is akin to stamping in that a tool is placed on the sheet and whacked with a hammer, but in stamping, the tool is hit once and removed to leave a single mark. In chasing the tool is continuously moved along the desired path by the non dominant hand and whacked simultaneously with the dominant hand. It's a bit like drawing on metal.

 

Chasing can either be a part of repoussé, or can stand alone as a separate technique. In repoussé an area to be pushed out is first delineated by chasing. A puffed out piece can then be chased on the front to create more lines, textures, and planes. Executed alone, chasing can be used to create surface designs on flat metal, such as the bottom of a box or the back of a bezel. I often chase symbols that appear to be stamps but are actually one of a kind designs.